Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-11-26
He WILL RESIGN.
An Interesting Letter From Master
Workman P0yyderIy.

An Interesting Letter From Master
Workman P0ygderIy,
indianapolis, Nov. 24-General Master
Workman Powderly, in response TO q
question from prominent knights of this
city urging him to reconsider his an.
nounced determination to retire from
the leadership of the order, has written
q letter of which the following is the
substance:
You ask me to reconsider my deter
mlnation to retire from the head of the
order after the next session. I do not
see how can consistently do SO, and it
would be unfair to retain position
which do not want and which L am
cohhdent another man can fill with
better advantage to the order at large.
During the past year received
thousands of communications from indi-
Yiduals, it is true. in which was abused.
condemned ana asked to resign. The
papers were full of abuse
and threats. Impeachments were made
and threats OF withdrawal from the order
freely lndulged in. Through this cloud
OF gloom but one ray OF light made its
way, That came from far away Denver.
where District Assembly 50 passed those
ringing resolutions indorsing my course
and condemnlng the anarchistlc element
which sought to prostitute the order to
its own basenees. felt that the order
would stand more cheerfully by some
other man than it would stand by me.
True, have never had cause TO find
fault with the official treatment have
received, but when the blows fall thick
and fast, friendly intercession cheers the
personB upon whose head the blows are
falling. believe the best service that
can render to the order ia to step aside
and allow some other member to do the
work am trying to do. have devoted
years to the cause OF labor. My life
in the service of humanity has been one
constant fight by night and day against
the enemies OF labor, and the
elements OF discord which opposed nae
from within and without. Such O life
has been most exciting one and has
left me with q legacy which can never
part with, in the shape of o heart trouble
that may do its work at any moment. /
could not make such d subject matter
for discussion IN my annual message or
before the general assembly. a person
al interest in the societies and comforts
OF home are things of the past with me
for years. long to be once more free
man, for to-day am bound by ties most
inestimable and raled over by, not one.
but by 100000 masters, You can never
know the strain under which have lived
for years. 1t would not be becoming for
me to speak of the financial sacrifice |
have made for the order, and | am free to
cay / would be willing to make the same
sacrifice again, either of health, wealth
or comfort, for the order of the knights
of labor. / have for eight years, as
general master workman, striven as hon.
estly as / knew how to better the condi.
tion of my fellow workman by helping
them to build an organization through
which they would be protected in their
rights. That organization is built, but
profsne hands have been laid upon it,
and the men who gathered at Chicago
and gave out that hostile declaration TO
the world, did so only because anarchy
could not rule the order. I do not
charge all these being anarchists. but I
claim that the vast majority OF them did
not represent their constitution.